Liquid-product dispenser for the direct application on surfaces



Nov. 10, 1959 P. Y. ZECCHINI LIQUID-PRODUCT DISPENSER FOR THE DIRECT APPLICATION ON SURFACES Filed Nov. 26, 1957 United States Patent LIQUID-PRODUCT DISPENSER FOR THE DIRECT APPLICATION ON SURFACES Pierre Yves Zecchini, Bagnolet, France Application November 26, 1957, Serial i m-699,127 Claims priority, application France January 10, '1957 2 Claims. c1.'1s'-13,4

This invention relates to dispensers adapted to be held in the users hand for distributing by direct application liquid, semi-liquid, pasty, pulverulent or crystallized products on surfaces. These dispensers comprise a container of any adequate material, shape and dimensions, on which a sealing wall is fitted subsequent to the to the filling of the container with the product to be distributed. This sealing wall is formed with a perforated portion or a portion adapted to be perforated by the user for delivering the product kept in the container and applying the product on the selected surface at a sufficient rate, without any excess.

Dispensers of this general character are already known wherein the closing wall is provided on its outer face with a fixed pad of adequate material which is adapted to be soaked with or to allow therethrough the product kept in the container when the outflow orifice or orifices are perforated by the user in the closing wall through the aforesaid pad, an alternate arrangement comprising orifices preformed in this wall.

In devices of this type which comprise outlet orifices the container is not leakproof, as the product soaks or passes through the pad either with excess or at an insufiicient rate, in any case permanently, so that these devices are unsuitable for use in all positions of the container.

When it is necessary to perforate the closing wall before the actual use of the device, for example by using a tool or other pointed object, the latter must pass through the pad before forming in the closing wall an aperture the size of which is compulsorily limited by that of the tool or object.

In addition, when it is desired to use this conventional method of perforating the aforesaid orifices in containers having a sealing or closing wall of plastic material such as polystirol, polythene, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride or the like, a negative result. is generally obtained for when the tool is about to perforate the delivery orifice or orifices the wall splits, breaks or tears off, or the orifice closes when the tool or object used for forming it is removed.

It is the essential object of this invention to provide a dispenser of liquid, semi-liquid or pulverulent products, which comprises a non-detachable thermo-setting plastic sealing or closing wall formed preferably in its central portion and on its main outer face with a circular rib surrounding a considerably thinned portion carrying in its centre a stud projecting above the general plane of the wall, this stud being preferably molded integrally with said thinned wall portion. The other face of the sealing wall is also formed with a circular rib registering substantially with the outer circular rib to prevent the sealing wall from being broken or split outside said thinned portion.

With this arrangement the user can easily remove a quantity of material corresponding to the whole of the surface occupied by said thinned wall portion and its Patented Nov. TO, 1959 Fee 2 central stud, by merely exerting a su'flicient pressure on said stud. I

According to the shape and size of the central stud and also, proportionally thereto, of the thinned wall portion provided therearound, gaged apertures of any desired shapes and dimensions may be obtained in 'any type of container, preferably but not exclusively of plastic material, which are to remain definitely and safely leakproof up to the time of their actual use. v

On addition, if the sealing wall is covered throughout its surface with a non-detachable spongy pad concealing the central stud from the users sight, it is not necessary to provide marks or other means for identifyin'g the position of the stud since this can be done by simply exerting a certain pressure with the thumb upon the central region of the pad so as to feel the presence of the hard projecting stud; by increasing this pressure the stud will be detached from the Wall along the thinned wall portion surrounding it.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of this invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in the practice, reference will now be made to the attached drawings forming part of this specification. In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective exploded view showing all the component elements of the dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention, this device being intended for the direct application on surfaces of liquid or "semi-liquid products, for example a glass-cleaner or the like;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing on a larger scale the sealing wall of the container illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a plane view of the same sealing wall.

The dispenser illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3 of the drawings comprises a container 1 of parallelepipedic or like shape having a raised flange 3 adapted to receive a plate 2 constituting the closing or sealing wall on which an open-cell spongy friction surface pad 4 is secured and adapted to be tightly closed by an external lid 5.

The wall 2 consists of plastic material, for example thermosetting plastic, and is formed in its central portion and on both sides with a circular rib 6 defining a circular area 7 formed in its centre with a considerably thinned portion 8 from which project on one face of the plate a stud 9 which is preferably molded integrally with the wall 2.

The ribs 6 constitute the necessary protection against the breakage or splitting of the plate 2.

At the actual time of use of the device the user removes the lid 5, places his thumb upon the centre of the spongy pad 4 to locate the position of the stud 9 and exerts a clean pressure thereon until it yields. As the stud 9 yields it breaks the thinned circular portion 8, thus forming the gaged orifice through which, when the container 1 is turned upside down, the product will soak automatically, without excess and regularly the spongy pad 4 as the user presses the latter against the surface to be cleaned or otherwise treated. The scrapers 10 of semi-hard rubber or plastic material and variable height, thickness and relative spacing may be formed for ex-' ample by molding on the outer face of the bottom wall of the container 1 for wiping the surfaces on whichthe product was previously applied by the spongy pad 4.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a chamber memher for storing a commodity to be dispensed, a top closure for said chamber member having a generally plane area and having a substantially upraised, frangible button extending from the plane of said area, a sponge element having an inner surface contiguous with said closure member and secured thereto, wherein said button protrudes into said sponge element so as to be manually detectable from the outer surface of said sponge element, whereby finger pressure may be brought against the outer surface of said sponge element to fracture and break away said button element from said closure element so as to cause said button element to fall into said'chamber member leaving an aperture for egress of the material stored in said chamber element so as to soak said sponge with said material for application of said material to 'a surface by means of said sponge.

member and secured thereto, wherein said button protrudes into said sponge element so as to be manually detectable fiom the outer surface of said sponge element, whereby finger pressure may be brought against the outer surface of said sponge element to fracture and break away said button element from said closure element so as to cause said button element to fall into said chamber member leaving an aperture for egress of the material stored in said chamber element so as to soak said sponge with saidmaterial for application of said material to a surface by means of said sponge, including a cover member for enclosing said sponge element and having sealing engagement with said chamber member to efiect substantially airtight housing for said sponge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,197 Hardin Mar. 17, 1908 1,021,522 Hinsdale Mar. 26, 1912 1,296,341 Towle Mar. 4,1919 1,327,190 Bigoney Jan. 6, 1920 1,495,149 Ball May 27, 1924 1,949,976 Runnels Mar. 6, 1934 2,054,033 Conner et a1. Sept. 8, 1936 2,333,070 Hoey et a1 Oct. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 1, 7,809 Fran e Ma 5, 56 

